BILL AIMS TO HELP VETERANS COLLECT BENEFITS

Money would help guide eligible through maze of paperwork

Legislation has been introduced to pump more money into programs that could help California veterans collect an estimated $400 million more in federal benefits every year.

State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, proposes to allocate $11 million to county veteran services offices, a large increase over the $2.6 million Gov. Jerry Brown has set aside in his proposed 2013-14 budget.

The measure will also seek to separately provide $2 million to private service organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The county programs help veterans and their families with the maze of federal paperwork required for a range of benefits, from service-connected disability pay to pensions to health care.

But the state leaves about $400 million uncollected every year because of delays and incomplete paperwork — problems that could be resolved with the hiring of more trained advocates for veterans in the county offices, advocates for veterans argue.

Collecting more benefits also could pump millions of extra dollars into the local and state economies, because veterans would have more to spend on goods and services, say those pushing for an increase in state spending.

“It is vital that we get this support to our communities at the local level. The increased resources to our county veteran service officers will not only help veterans, it will bring more money to California,” said Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, an Oceanside Republican and retired marine colonel.

Chavez called the measure “a good start.”

Pete Conaty, who represents county service officers in Sacramento, said the measure reflects the fact that county offices and veteran service organizations “are partners.”

“Working together, they will bring an additional $400 million in federal benefits to California veterans,” Conaty said.

Brown, and also former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, have made across-the-board cuts in all state departments, given the nagging budget crises in recent years.

“The state has defaulted on its moral obligation to help counties fund this vital program,” said Correa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.

In an earlier interview, Peter Gravett, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and a retired major general, said the state is doing what it can.

“We would like to provide as much financial support to (the county offices) as we can. In the future, perhaps we can give a little more. I can tell you: The resources we have given is all we have to give them,” Gravett said.

This year the state’s fortunes appear to be turning, partly thanks to an improved economy and voter approval of higher taxes.

Correa does not specify where he will find the money. But some officials and lawmakers suggest that imposing stricter cost-savings measures at veterans homes could be one avenue.

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Brown’s Department of Finance, said the newly introduced bill has yet to be reviewed.

Tom Splitgerber, who leads the San Diego County office, said the board of supervisors has not yet taken a position.

His five-member team of accredited officers each file about 400 claims a year. His office could almost double the number of claims with three to five more workers, Splitgerber said.

California is home to nearly 2 million veterans, including about 228,500 in San Diego County. Advocates anticipate even more demand for services with the troop drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq.